New health facility opens in Raheny

WHILE all eyes were on Minister for Health Dr James Reilly for the announcement of the new children’s hospital location, he also found time to open a new health facility on the Northside.

Dr Reilly officially opened the Raheny Community Nursing Unit (RCNU), a 100-bed facility that will provide full time residential care for older persons.

The new facility is located on the grounds of St Joseph’s Hospital in Raheny which came under the management of Beaumont Hospital in 2004.

The building was constructed and funded by the HSE and is now governed and managed by Beaumont Hospital.

The commissioning of the Raheny beds places Beaumont Hospital as a lead provider of residential care in North Dublin.

The Unit will assist in reducing the numbers of patients in the acute hospital system awaiting long-term care and facilitate older persons from the community being able to access residential care in a timely manner.

The Raheny Unit is purpose built and will provide highest quality, person-centred care for residents in a warm and friendly home-like environment. Beaumont has engaged an experienced nursing and health and social care professional team working with its consultant geriatrician team at Beaumont to ensure a model of care at Raheny that can manage a range of clinical situations without transferring patients to Beaumont.

Minister Reilly acknowledged the enormous benefit the new unit would bring to the area.

He said he was of the firm belief that services for older people should be person-centred and promote self-determination.

“I have every confidence that Raheny CNU will provide a model of residential care, capable of managing a range of clinical situations with their residents at the heart of all their considerations,

? stated Minister Reilly.

Liam Duffy, chief executive of Beaumont Hospital, said incorporating the Raheny Community Nursing Unit into Beaumont Hospital’s remit continues

“our provision of healthcare with a high performance focus

?.

“Beaumont is enhancing the provision of residential care within the community while focussing on quality of life,

? stated Mr Duffy.